淨名玄論 2.9

2.9

In India, the title of a sūtra is placed at the end, and the beginning always says 'siddham'. 'Siddham' means accomplishment, and also auspicious dharma. But shifting it from the end to the beginning was done by Dao'an when he titled them. Question: Why do all sūtras have titles at the head? Answer: It is to cause one to know the Dharma through the name, and to give rise to practice through the Dharma, thereby attaining the fruit of liberation. Furthermore, faculties and inclinations differ, and the expounded teachings are varied; if titles were not separately established, the various divisions would not be distinguished; in order to distinguish each of the various divisions, titles are separately established. Moreover, the dharmas expounded by all buddhas have the abridged and the extensive: the extensive refers to the text of the entire work, while the abridged is the title of a single sūtra. Gathering the extensive into the abridged is for the sake of upholding; unfolding the abridged into the extensive is for the sake of understanding the meaning. Furthermore, gathering the extensive into the abridged is for those of sharp faculties: if they hear the name of the sūtra, they immediately understand its meaning, just as when Nāgārjuna and others entered the ocean palace, merely looking at the sūtras' titles, they completely comprehended the text and principle. Unfolding the abridged into the extensive is for those of dull faculties: upon hearing the title they do not yet awaken, and only upon examining the text do they understand. For this reason, all sūtras have titles at their heads.